


Don't Be Afraid

by Rezeren



Category: Bleach
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-31
Updated: 2015-10-30
Packaged: 2018-04-29 01:49:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5111903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rezeren/pseuds/Rezeren
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A lost zanpakutô wants revenge. And for Ichigo to pay, Rukia must suffer too. Through a reign of terror throughout their deepest fears and horrific nightmares, Hollow Ichigo could them closer together. If he felt like it. His choice, really. IchiRuki.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Be Afraid

**Author's Note:**

> This has been posted on FanFiction already, but I thought I'd put it here too, especially since I first created it two years ago for Halloween. ^^

**Over the many years I have existed, I have often heard of those who get left behind. My fellow zanpakutô do like to gossip. Every so often, you'd hear the odd name being whispered. One like Muramasa. Ironic, because apparently that was that zanpakutô's Shikai command.**

**I was not abandoned. Master just did not need me any more. He was a great man, with so much potential, and I am content with the knowledge of how proud I am of him.**

**Do I even exist any more? Seems like a ridiculous question, but what happens to a zanpakutô when it is destroyed? I am not aware of much, but I do have a conscious. I am drifting through the air, not quite a physical form, but enough to sustain my existence in the dreams of humans, and keep up my reputation as an instrument of hypnotism. I can bend the dreams however I wish, and I can cause suffering if that is what I desire.**

**And that is precisely what I have in mind for the one who defeated my master. The one who stood in the way of the great Sôsuke Aizen, the one who came away victorious. It has been almost two years and I have been searching all this time, drifting from dream to dream...**

**One day, Ichigo Kurosaki, I will take great joy in watching you suffer... how delightful that will be...**

 

The lieutenant of Squad Thirteen is always busy.

Okay, so let's start with her duties as a Soul Reaper, directly under Captain Ukitake in ranking: lots and lots of paper work. Especially as her captain spends a lot of his time in his quarters extremely ill. Which often leaves her having to complete his paper work as well as her own.

Next: she is a Kuchiki, and has recently been appointed heir to the Kuchiki throne, making her the next clan leader after Byakuya, which is apparently a _huge_ honour. She was adopted off the streets, and now look at her! One day she'll be the leader of one of the four great noble families!

So, in short, more work.

Plus, she's often sent to the World of the Living because she is closest to Ichigo, so that eats away at the rest of her precious time.

Rukia Kuchiki's life can be quite tiring.

'Yeah, but with the Kuchiki thing, all you have to do is wear super expensive kimonos and look pretty,' Ichigo points out, snapping Rukia out of this fantasy where she was imagining actually having a day off.

'It's more than that, idiot,' Rukia snaps, turning to face Ichigo, who is lying on his bed reading a magazine. She herself is sitting at his desk, drawing Chappy the Rabbit on the available paper she could find. 'I have to take part in discussions with the elders. My point of view on most matters counts, as I am to be the next leader one day.'

'Byakuya's not gonna pop his clogs any time soon,' Ichigo says mildly.

'Urgh! Do you have to be so vulgar with the way you talk, fool?!'

'Oh, I'm sorry, is it because you're now a very posh noble that you can't stand me?' he says with a grin.

Rukia scowls. 'You're so naïve, Ichigo. You have no idea what it's like, being under so much pressure.'

Ichigo looks at her with a mocking serious expression. 'Of course not. I have no idea what it's like to have so many people expecting you to do something great like, I don't know, saving the Soul Society five or six times. Or more. My fight with Aizen? Child's play.'

The two of them burst out laughing.

'Okay, maybe you've done some great things-' (Ichigo raises his arms in acknowledgement)- 'but you can also enjoy an ordinary human life. Besides... you have no idea how much paper work I have to complete!'

'As if! I know Renji and Momo help you with that!'

'Shut up!' Rukia shouts.

Ichigo grins. He stretches out on his bed and gives a huge yawn. 'Ah... I think I'll turn in for the night... it's been a busy day, but evidently not as stressful as yours.'

Rukia glares at him. 'Fool...'

At that moment, her soul pager goes off. She picks it up off the desk and stares down at the message. 'Damn... not just any Hollow... this is an Arrancar...'

Ichigo's slowly closing eyes flicker open in an instant. 'I'll take it.'

'No, I'm perfectly capable.'

'Rukia, I should probably...'

'Are you underestimating me, Ichigo?'

All the fooling around has disappeared and this is no longer a joke. The two stare at each other, both serious.

'I've defeated Arrancars before, Ichigo.'

'Yeah, but...' he shifts uncomfortably on the spot. He hates having to admit the full truth, so he'll only mention half of it. A rather sore area, nevertheless.

'I... I'm stronger, Rukia. If something were to happen if you were fighting it...'  
'Nothing's going to happen,' she says coldly.

More silence.

'You think I'm too weak, don't you?'

'I... have Bankai and Hollow powers as a backup. You've only got your Shikai...'

'I'm a lieutenant, Ichigo!' she yells, fury coursing through her when she realises he isn't denying her assumption. 'I'm heir to the Kuchiki throne! I defeated an Espada with that Shikai!'

'And you almost died!' he shoots back. 'I should take it, I could get the job done much quicker!'

'Bakudo Number One, Sai!'

She knows it will only delay him for a minute or two, but it will be enough. She gives him one last icy look as she leaps out the window, leaving him behind shouting abuse.

 

The miserable creature must have only just become an Arrancar, as it is so inexperienced. It shouts gleefully as she lands down onto a roof nearby it, surveying it with disdain. Broken white mask over an eye. Short black hair. Ordinary white outfit. Nothing special.

This shouldn't take long.

Even less time if Ichigo was doing it.

No, forget it. She is not dependant on him. She can take care of herself, and she certainly needs no help.

'Dance, Sode no Shirayuki,' she calls, taking pleasure at the thought of Ichigo's face when she will return home victorious. The Hollow watches the beautiful white zanpakutô, wonder etched across his stupid face.

'Pretty...' he giggles.

Rukia rolls her eyes. Such a fool. He will die quickly.

In one second she is standing behind the dumb Hollow, and his shoulder explodes in crimson liquid. He yowls, then spins around with his sword, but she has already disappeared in a flash of snow and ice. She lands on his other side and calls out, 'Some no Mai, Tsukishiro!' The ice begins to creep up the leg of the unsuspecting Arrancar, who yelps and tries to scrape the ice away. Realising that this is hopeless, the Arrancar notices how close Rukia is and decides to try and attack her head on instead. Rukia sees the sword swinging towards her and is perfectly aware that she will be able to block it in time... she is Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki of Squad Thirteen, heir to the Kuchiki throne... this pitiful excuse for an Arrancar will never defeat her...

In another flash, Rukia can feel herself being hoisted into somebody's arms and is vaguely aware of 'GETSUGA TENSHÔ' being shouted by an extremely familiar voice. The arc of light blue energy engulfs the poor Hollow, erasing him from existence.

 

She punches Ichigo in the face, naturally.

How dare he think that he can 'save' her when she obviously doesn't need saving?! She had it all under control!

'FOOL! WHY DID YOU COME?!'

'Rukia, listen, I didn't want to see you get hurt-'

'ARGH!' she screams, stomping down very hard on his foot so he'll get the message, then she storms off, using flashstep. Forget chilling out in the World of the Living- she's not in the mood. She'll go back to the Soul Society- now.

'Rukia... I'm sorry!'

She's already disappearing through a senkaimon.

_I can't wait until I start Bankai training!_ she thinks savagely as she marches over to the Kuchiki Mansion, swearing under her breath. _I'll beat him to death, and see whether he'll still think I'm weak!  
_  
Perhaps it's her anger. She doesn't know it's possible for anger to dull the senses, and to cause her to fall onto the ground, dizzy all of a sudden. She gets to her feet, brushes herself down and shakes her head, confused. What just happened? Why does her head feel so light?

She hears laughter. Strange, feminine, with a slight ringing sound echoing through her head.

_**'A friend of Ichigo Kurosaki... my search is almost at its end... hello, Rukia Kuchiki.'**_


End file.
